Café Roma Ristorante & Catering is going to double its space, expand its menu and add beer and wine.

The restaurant is in just less than 1,000 square feet at 1013 L St., directly across the street from the Capitol dome. Starting this week, work is starting on expanding the restaurant to an additional 1,000 square feet next door, said Abe Saadeh, owner. He opened the cafe in 2010 featuring his Italian grandmother’s recipes.

The restaurant should be open during most of the expansion, as the renovation next door will be done first, and then the wall will be removed in about a month. There will be a couple days down as the inspectors check the work, but most of the work joining the spaces will be done on the weekends, when the restaurant is closed.

The cafe now seats up to 20 people inside, but most people take food to go because there aren’t enough seats. The expansion will add about 30 more seats inside and about 20 outside.

The expansion is expected to be completed by Sept. 15. The cafe is now open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., but with the addition of table service and beer and wine, the restaurant will launch a happy hour, an expanded breakfast menu and entertainment in the fall, Saadeh said.

The restaurant will feature Italian as well as local beers and wines. It already offers espresso and gelato.

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